The data centre industry has reportedly asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to introduce strict timelines for government approvals and streamline right of way (RoW) clearances, calling them the biggest hurdles in building new facilities.
During recent consultations on the draft data centre policy, companies said the need for multiple permissions from different agencies slows projects for months. They also pointed out that securing RoW for fibre-optic cables and power infrastructure remains a prolonged, complex process, even as MeitY proposes a single-window clearance system for data centre investments.
MeitY officials said the latest inputs have been received and will need further discussion across ministries.
Alongside procedural clarity, the industry is also pushing for specific operational guidelines and targeted incentives to support the rollout of artificial intelligence-focused data centres.
